


Bento

by artikgato



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 13:23:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18993511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artikgato/pseuds/artikgato
Summary: You’d figure out her favorite foods and make her a special bento. There would be heart-shaped onigiri and everything, wouldn’t there?” Yosuke asked.





	Bento

**Author's Note:**

> For Souyo week day 2 - confession

“How would you do it, Partner?” Yosuke asked, and Souji found himself laughing internally.

“I’ve never really thought about it, to be honest,” he replied, hoping that would deter Yosuke away from what was rapidly becoming a very dangerous topic of conversation. It didn’t, of course — that much, Souji knew, because his answer prompted an  _ immediate _ sigh of exasperation from the brunette.

“C’mon, Partner, don’t give me that. I know you’ve thought about it! Everybody has!” he groaned.

“I haven’t,” Souji replied, flatly, but Yosuke wasn’t going to stand for it, apparently. He’d been lying on his back, neck craned a little to address him, but now he rolled over to fully face Souji, propping his head up with one hand, the other drumming idly on the plush surface of the Dojimas’ spare futon. He was making a face at Souji that told him he didn’t believe him. Souji was fairly sure he couldn’t see through Souji’s poker face, not yet anyway, but rather that Yosuke really did think that  _ everyone _ had a plan for how they would confess to their crush. 

Not that Souji didn’t. He just didn’t want to talk about it with Yosuke, because this was a Dangerous Subject, in many ways.

“How about I guess it? If I guess right, you have to tell me,” Yosuke continued. Souji shook his head, but rolled onto his side to mirror Yosuke. 

“I don’t have to do anything,” Souji said, and Yosuke made another face at him.

“That’s no fair,” he complained, but with a clear of his throat, his expression went from pouting to thoughtful. “Hmmm...you’re always so considerate of people’s feelings, so there’s no way you’d do any kind of public confession...maybe a note in her locker?”

There was no need for Yosuke to ever,  _ ever _ know that there was most definitely not ever going to be a ‘her’ in any kind of confession of Souji’s.

“Nope,” Souji said. Yosuke quirked an eyebrow, his lips curving into a small, sly grin.

“Would you ask her to meet you on the roof and confess there?” he asked. Souji gave a slight shake of his head. “The riverbank?” Another shake. Yosuke thought for a moment. “The shrine?” Another shake of his head. “Hmm. Maybe you’d make her something? Bake her a cake and spell out “I like you” in the icing?” 

Not a bad idea, but he still shook his head ‘no’. Yosuke frowned. “Something less flashy than a cake, maybe? Like a bento?” That was actually a  _ really _ good idea, but he still shook his head. Apparently his hesitation was noticed, however, because Yosuke sat up a little. “Aha! I saw you hesitate, Partner. Is that it, then? You’d make her a bento? ...hmm, but you bring me lunch all the time, so...maybe not that…”

He was  _ so close _ to the truth, but too oblivious to notice. Souji was almost tempted to say he’d gotten him, that a bento was obviously the way he’d confess, oh and by the way, would you say that ginger pork is your favorite, or curry?

“I’ve got it! A mix tape! ...wait, no, that’s my idea. You wouldn’t steal my idea...right, Partner?” he asked, looking genuinely distressed. Souji laughed.

“I wouldn’t,” he confirmed, and Yosuke went back into ‘investigation’ mode instantly.

“Hmm...well, you didn’t say no to the bento idea. I’ll bet it’s that, then. You’d figure out her favorite foods and make her a special bento. There would be heart-shaped onigiri and everything, wouldn’t there?” Yosuke asked. Souji chuckled, and decided to just go ahead and end the conversation there, if he could.

“You got me. That’s how I’d do it,” he confirmed, and Yosuke made a little “whoop”ing noise and punched a fist into the air.

“I knew it!” he crowed. “That’s just like you, Partner. I’ll bet you could get anybody at school to date you if you confessed like that.”

“Maybe,” Souji answered, cryptically. Yosuke’s grin fell and he looked contemplative.

“I can fry eggs and make rice, but I somehow doubt any bento I tried to make would go over well. If there was anybody that’d even  _ take _ it, heh…” he lamented.

“I would,” Souji replied, with a straight face. Yosuke made a face and stuck his tongue out at him.

“Of course you would,” he replied. Souji let his mouth curve into a small smirk.

“Even if it was uneven and lumpy and you didn’t write “suki” correctly, I’d still take it,” he insisted, and Yosuke...Yosuke squirmed.  _ Interesting _ . 

“C’mon, man, stop teasing,” he complained, and then heaved a sigh, flopping over onto his back. “Anyway, it’s late. We should get some sleep, right?” 

“Right,” Souji agreed, rolling over onto his back as well. “Good night, Partner.”

“Night,” Yosuke returned.

Souji showed up to school two days later with a lovingly prepared bento box stuffed with an assortment of Yosuke’s favorite foods — curry, ginger pork, croquettes — and a heart-shaped onigiri that had “suki da yo” spelled out on it in seaweed that Souji had painstakingly cut into the letters. He presented it to Yosuke on the roof at lunch with a completely straight face, though he felt like his insides were twisting around each-other in worry. Later, looking back on the moment, Souji would find the rapid succession of emotions on Yosuke’s face to be hilarious, but in the moment it was absolutely nerve-wracking. Yosuke was surprised, at first, quickly morphing into shock, and then dread.

“C’mon, man, stop teasing,” he echoed, though his voice was rough with clear anxiety.

“I’m not teasing, Yosuke,” Souji said. “I really do like you.”

“A-as a friend?” Yosuke asked, his voice taking on an almost pleading tone. Souji felt his shoulders drop, and probably couldn’t help how disappointed he looked. 

“It’s fine if you don’t return my feelings,” he said, somehow keeping his tone calm and placating. “Really. But at least eat the bento, I spent a long time working on it.”

“I…” Yosuke started, looking down at the bento for a long, agonizingly long few moments. Then he resolutely took up the pair of chopsticks and grabbed one of the croquettes. Having nothing else to do with his hands, Souji started on his own, much less impressive lunch, though he suddenly didn’t have an appetite. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Yosuke swallow the croquette, heard him give a small sigh, and watched as he put the chopsticks back down and quickly picked up the bento, setting it aside and turning to face Souji. Souji mirrored him, putting his own bento down and giving him his full attention. He was surprised to find Yosuke blushing fiercely when he finally looked up at him.

“I like you too, Partner,” Yosuke said, after a long stretch of hesitation and more than a few false starts. “I...I’ve been running from my feelings for...I dunno, months, now? Because I thought there was no way you’d ever return my feelings and, besides you’re...a  _ guy _ , and…” he stopped, shaking his head. “To be honest, I was thinking about rejecting you just now, but, uh… that croquette was…  _ really _ good…”

Souji couldn’t help bursting out laughing at that. Yosuke joined in, sheepishly. 

“Sorry,” Yosuke apologized, eventually. “I...I don’t know why you wanted to confess to  _ me _ of all people, and I know I said I like you...I-I mean I  _ do _ like you, but…”

“But?” Souji asked.

“I just...dunno what to do, man. I’ve always pictured myself with a girl, right, and...and the last thing I need is another rumor about me going around town, you know?” Yosuke asked. 

“I understand,” Souji replied. And he  _ did _ understand — he heard the rumors, and he saw how pained Yosuke looked when  _ he _ heard people talking about him. 

“I...I, uh,” Yosuke started, looking totally lost and out of his depth. “Could we…”

“Lunch will be over soon,” Souji observed, flashing Yosuke a little grin. “We can talk about this later. You should really finish that bento.”

“R-right! Right...after school? I don’t work tonight…” Yosuke said, picking his bento and chopsticks back up. Souji nodded.

“I don’t work either,” he replied, even though that was definitely not the case. He was supposed to work at the daycare, but Yosuke didn’t need to know that. “How is it, by the way?”

“Freakin’ amazing as always,” Yosuke said around a mouthful of ginger pork. Souji turned back to his own bento, now feeling much more like eating. For a few moments they just ate in a peaceful silence. Yosuke quickly moved onto the curry, showering him with compliments about that, too. Souji smirked.

“I’d bring you a bento for lunch every day if you were my boyfriend, you know,” Souji idly commented, causing Yosuke to choke on a mouthful of curry. He recovered quickly, rounding on Souji with an exasperated, but fond, look on his face.

“Did you  _ have _ to say that while I was trying to eat your delicious curry?? I could have died!” Yosuke exclaimed. Souji laughed, and Yosuke huffed at him. They finished their lunches right as the bell rang. Yosuke stopped Souji right as they were about to get to the door that led down from the roof. 

“H-hey, uh. If I...would you really bring me lunch every day if we were dating?” Yosuke asked. Souji grinned at him.

“Of course,” he replied. Yosuke seemed to steel himself.

“Then, uh. Will you go out with me, Souji?” Yosuke asked, looking shy but determined. Souji laughed in delight.

“Of course,” he repeated. Yosuke blushed, but looked happy. He started to turn for the door, but this time Souji stopped him. 

“Can we seal the deal with a kiss?” he asked, watching as Yosuke turned bright red, but nodded. It was a really quick kiss, their lips barely even brushing together, but it was enough for Souji. 


End file.
